Pioneers in the cosmetics industry for research on stem cells in the skin and hair, L’Oréal's Research and Innovation teams draw insights for new anti-aging strategies from their knowledge of stem cells.

Cultivated in vitro, a single stem keratinocyte from the epidermis can produce more than 100 billion keratinocytes, or the equivalent of the skin surface of 1,000 adults!

A reservoir of innovation

Our skin is the reservoir of several types of adult stem cells, that are responsible for renewing the epidermis, the dermis, hair and nails, or even ensuring the formation of scar tissue and repair of the skin in the event of aggression. Rare but imbued with an impressive potential for proliferation, these cells are of course of capital interest for cosmetics. L’Oréal's Researchers have been interested in them for a long time and have forged many collaborations in this field with international scientific teams. Their ambition? To develop new strategies to prevent and treat the aging of skin more effectively and, in the future, to advance to new applications in the realm of beauty.

Protect to regenerate

Stem Cells

L’Oréal researchers have been working for over twenty years to gain a better understanding of the role of adult stem cells in skin and hair regeneration.

This knowledge has already been used as the basis of products aimed at preserving the integrity of skin and hair and repairing aging skin.

Aging skins undergoes a number of changes that L’Oréal scientists are trying to better understand and address.

One of the tools L’Oréal has helped to develop is in vitro reconstructed human ski, which can be used to address questions of basic science as well as allowing the evaluation of the efficiency and safety of products.

L’Oréal stem cell research has yielded active ingredients that are effective in protecting against and repairing the effects of aging.

When it comes to hair, understanding the biology of hair stem cells is essential for comprehending the causes of hair loss and for proposing new approaches to preventing and treating this phenomenon.

The L’Oréal team found that melanocytes are susceptible to stress because they do not possess a key enzyme called TRP2. Active ingredients that mimic this enzyme could serve as the basis for treatments to prevent hair whitening in the future.

Dr Bruno Bernard, of the Hair Biology Group, L’Oréal: “In the future, and because of the key role of stem cells, we might end up with new strategies to prevent skin aging, hair loss and hair whitening. At L’Oréal, we first want to understand the biology and, from our discoveries, we want to design new strategies. But clearly we have to do that very carefully, bit by bit, respecting all the ethical problems. This is the way we work.”

L’Oréal researchers have been working for over twenty years to gain a better understanding of the role of adult stem cells in skin and hair regeneration.

This knowledge has already been used as the basis of products aimed at preserving the integrity of skin and hair and repairing aging skin.

Aging skins undergoes a number of changes that L’Oréal scientists are trying to better understand and address.

One of the tools L’Oréal has helped to develop is in vitro reconstructed human ski, which can be used to address questions of basic science as well as allowing the evaluation of the efficiency and safety of products.

L’Oréal stem cell research has yielded active ingredients that are effective in protecting against and repairing the effects of aging.

When it comes to hair, understanding the biology of hair stem cells is essential for comprehending the causes of hair loss and for proposing new approaches to preventing and treating this phenomenon.

The L’Oréal team found that melanocytes are susceptible to stress because they do not possess a key enzyme called TRP2. Active ingredients that mimic this enzyme could serve as the basis for treatments to prevent hair whitening in the future.

Dr Bruno Bernard, of the Hair Biology Group, L’Oréal: “In the future, and because of the key role of stem cells, we might end up with new strategies to prevent skin aging, hair loss and hair whitening. At L’Oréal, we first want to understand the biology and, from our discoveries, we want to design new strategies. But clearly we have to do that very carefully, bit by bit, respecting all the ethical problems. This is the way we work.”

L'Oréal's teams already have an asset in the decisive advances they have made. To fight against the aging of the skin, they work toward preserving the environment of stem cells to improve their regenerative potential, which diminishes with age. As a result, the researchers have succeeded in identifying active molecules for which the effectiveness on the regenerative potential of keratinocytes has been proven in vitro on reconstructed skin models. The first product to benefit from these advances was Absolue Precious Cells by Lancôme, launched in September 2009. Another avenue of research, devoted this time to hair: understanding the mechanisms for graying and hair loss. To combat these problems, the researchers are in particular exploring the avenue of protection of the stem melanocytes and keratinocytes that tend to disappear progressively with age.

Glossaire

kératinocytes

Keratinocytes are cells in the epidermis or hair follicle that are responsible for the synthesis of keratin, the main component of skin and hair.

synthetic chemistry

Synthetic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that consists not only of analyzing or isolating chemical components but also of synthesizing them in the laboratory.

biotechnology

The generic term "biotechnology" refers to an activity of synthesizing molecules performed using the natural mechanisms that belong to living organisms.

active ingredient

An active ingredient is a molecule (or a group of molecules) that contributes to the effective results claimed by a cosmetic product.

green chemistry

green chemistry implements the principles that reduce its environmental impact (origins and nature of raw materials, optimization of processes).

fibroblasts

Fibroblasts are large spindle-shaped cells that constitute the main cells of the dermis, the tissue that supports the skin. They are responsible for the synthesis of collagen and elastin that give the dermis its properties of resilience and elasticity.

keratinocytes

Keratinocytes are cells in the epidermis or hair follicle that are responsible for the synthesis of keratin, the main component of skin and hair.

melanocytes

Melanocytes are cells in the epidermis or hair follicle that are responsible for the synthesis of melanin and transmit it to the keratinocytes.

Protect to regenerate

Stem Cells

L’Oréal researchers have been working for over twenty years to gain a better understanding of the role of adult stem cells in skin and hair regeneration.

This knowledge has already been used as the basis of products aimed at preserving the integrity of skin and hair and repairing aging skin.

Aging skins undergoes a number of changes that L’Oréal scientists are trying to better understand and address.

One of the tools L’Oréal has helped to develop is in vitro reconstructed human ski, which can be used to address questions of basic science as well as allowing the evaluation of the efficiency and safety of products.

L’Oréal stem cell research has yielded active ingredients that are effective in protecting against and repairing the effects of aging.

When it comes to hair, understanding the biology of hair stem cells is essential for comprehending the causes of hair loss and for proposing new approaches to preventing and treating this phenomenon.

The L’Oréal team found that melanocytes are susceptible to stress because they do not possess a key enzyme called TRP2. Active ingredients that mimic this enzyme could serve as the basis for treatments to prevent hair whitening in the future.

Dr Bruno Bernard, of the Hair Biology Group, L’Oréal: “In the future, and because of the key role of stem cells, we might end up with new strategies to prevent skin aging, hair loss and hair whitening. At L’Oréal, we first want to understand the biology and, from our discoveries, we want to design new strategies. But clearly we have to do that very carefully, bit by bit, respecting all the ethical problems. This is the way we work.”

L’Oréal researchers have been working for over twenty years to gain a better understanding of the role of adult stem cells in skin and hair regeneration.

This knowledge has already been used as the basis of products aimed at preserving the integrity of skin and hair and repairing aging skin.

Aging skins undergoes a number of changes that L’Oréal scientists are trying to better understand and address.

One of the tools L’Oréal has helped to develop is in vitro reconstructed human ski, which can be used to address questions of basic science as well as allowing the evaluation of the efficiency and safety of products.

L’Oréal stem cell research has yielded active ingredients that are effective in protecting against and repairing the effects of aging.

When it comes to hair, understanding the biology of hair stem cells is essential for comprehending the causes of hair loss and for proposing new approaches to preventing and treating this phenomenon.

The L’Oréal team found that melanocytes are susceptible to stress because they do not possess a key enzyme called TRP2. Active ingredients that mimic this enzyme could serve as the basis for treatments to prevent hair whitening in the future.

Dr Bruno Bernard, of the Hair Biology Group, L’Oréal: “In the future, and because of the key role of stem cells, we might end up with new strategies to prevent skin aging, hair loss and hair whitening. At L’Oréal, we first want to understand the biology and, from our discoveries, we want to design new strategies. But clearly we have to do that very carefully, bit by bit, respecting all the ethical problems. This is the way we work.”

L'Oréal's teams already have an asset in the decisive advances they have made. To fight against the aging of the skin, they work toward preserving the environment of stem cells to improve their regenerative potential, which diminishes with age. As a result, the researchers have succeeded in identifying active molecules for which the effectiveness on the regenerative potential of keratinocytes has been proven in vitro on reconstructed skin models. The first product to benefit from these advances was Absolue Precious Cells by Lancôme, launched in September 2009. Another avenue of research, devoted this time to hair: understanding the mechanisms for graying and hair loss. To combat these problems, the researchers are in particular exploring the avenue of protection of the stem melanocytes and keratinocytes that tend to disappear progressively with age.

Glossaire

kératinocytes

Keratinocytes are cells in the epidermis or hair follicle that are responsible for the synthesis of keratin, the main component of skin and hair.

synthetic chemistry

Synthetic chemistry is a branch of chemistry that consists not only of analyzing or isolating chemical components but also of synthesizing them in the laboratory.

biotechnology

The generic term "biotechnology" refers to an activity of synthesizing molecules performed using the natural mechanisms that belong to living organisms.

active ingredient

An active ingredient is a molecule (or a group of molecules) that contributes to the effective results claimed by a cosmetic product.

green chemistry

green chemistry implements the principles that reduce its environmental impact (origins and nature of raw materials, optimization of processes).

fibroblasts

Fibroblasts are large spindle-shaped cells that constitute the main cells of the dermis, the tissue that supports the skin. They are responsible for the synthesis of collagen and elastin that give the dermis its properties of resilience and elasticity.

keratinocytes

Keratinocytes are cells in the epidermis or hair follicle that are responsible for the synthesis of keratin, the main component of skin and hair.

melanocytes

Melanocytes are cells in the epidermis or hair follicle that are responsible for the synthesis of melanin and transmit it to the keratinocytes.